


Reclaim Your Crown

by moderatelypanickedbiromantic



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Blood and Gore, Castles, Fighting, Kingdoms, M/M, Magic, Medieval AU, Missions, Prince Castiel, Royal Guard Dean Winchester, SPN - Freeform, War, kings - Freeform, royal guard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-01-01 04:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18328958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moderatelypanickedbiromantic/pseuds/moderatelypanickedbiromantic
Summary: Dean Winchester is one of twelve personal guards for the Crown Prince Castiel, and his kingdom is at war. When his King sends Dean on a mission that could very well result in his death he jumps at the chance to prove himself and protect his kingdom. Even though it means leaving his Prince behind, potentially forever.When Dean travels to the fortress of Edowathe he comes face to face with a past he never knew existed. Dean had never questioned where he came from or to who he was loyal, but with new information about his past and his birth he can't help but question everything. Will his loyalties waver? Will he return to his prince victorious, or will Dean turn his back on everything he's ever known for the family he never knew he had?





	1. Letters of War

Dean dismounted his horse as he approached the castle, it was within walking distance now and he wanted to take his time getting back. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to return, he enjoyed his work as a palace guard. But there was nothing quite like walking through the woods alone. The sound of birdsong filtering through the trees. And the wind rustling through your hair. As part of the princes personal guard Dean didn’t get as many opportunities to go strolling through the forests as he’d like.

His horse Wendigo, shook his head and huffed a breath when Dean grabbed the reins to lead him. Wendigo was of a wild spirit, loyal to Dean and only Dean. Many who met him swore he was a creature turned horse, not meant to be tamed. They say there’s something wild and strange in his eyes. But Dean saw only his horse, his most trusted ally and friend. And he knew Wendigo would never fail him.

A squirrel ran across the path in front of them, another followed closely behind and the corner of Deans mouth lifted up in amusement watching them chase each other through the trees.

It wasn’t long before the city gates rose up before them, and in an even shorter amount of time Dean wound his way through the city streets and into the castle stables. He combed, fed, and watered his horse before making his way into the barracks with plans to bathe and feed himself before going to his prince and delivering the news the messenger had brought from the war front.

It pained Dean greatly to not be on the front, fighting alongside his brothers. But his first duty was to the prince, and the prince had ordered he remain here. His reasoning being that if their army was to fail then Dean would be of better use here… to protect as many of the citizens as possible. Dean wasn’t a soldier. He was a warrior, yes. And a damn good one. But he was no soldier. And that was why Dean had been placed immediately into the princes personal guard instead of doing his fair time in the war camps.

Once Dean had changed into fresh clothes he went to the princes chambers expecting to find him there shuffling through reports or with his nose in a book. When Dean didn’t find him there he searched the castle, first the kitchens, then the training grounds and everything in between. Just as Dean was beginning to grow worried he found the prince in the gardens admiring a honey bee resting on a lavender sprout.

The prince was focused intently on the bee, a small smile toying at his lips. Dean watched him for a moment taking a moment to look the prince over. For the first time in months the prince look peaceful. The war and not being able to fight with his kingdom had taken its toll. But for the moment he wasn’t weighed down by any of it, like a weight had been lifted off. Dean's eyes shone with a love he could never speak of or acknowledge. “My prince,” he finally said with a tilt of his head.

At once the princes attention snapped to his guard, and that weight settled back over him like it had once again found its home. He was tired, and his blue eyes shown with grief and regret. “I’ve told you to stop calling me that—“

“My liege, then,” Dean teased with a quirk of his mouth and a small bow that had the prince shaking his head; amused. He held out the letter he had retrieved this morning from a messenger sent from the front. “This is for you. Your monthly report from the front, I believe. And this,” he reached into his coat to retrieve a smaller envelope, “is from your father.”

The prince winced as he took the letter from his father turning it over slowly in his hands, the king only ever wrote to deliver bad news. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear it.

Dean offered a tight smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing, Cas,” he said even though he didn’t believe it himself. The last letter was to tell Castiel that his brother, Gabriel, had died. And his body had arrived shortly after. The prince had laid him to rest with no one but Dean at his side. Dean hadn’t known how to help him through his grief, but he stayed by him always ready to offer a kind word, a joke, or a bit of strength if his prince was to ever need it.

Castiel shook his head. “We both know it’s not anything good,” he said softly. With a sigh he tore the letter the letter open. It was better to face the news now with Dean by his side then later alone his chambers. His eyes scanned the page, once… twice… and his heart sank. Dean was to be sent on a mission that would most likely result in his death… and he was to go alone...

“What is Cas?” Dean asked, worry lacing his tone. Castiel's face had lost all colour and Deans mind had begun to race with possibilities. They had lost. Their enemies were marching this way. The kingdom had fallen—

“You’re to be sent to infiltrate the fortress of Edowathe and kill the royal family…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


	2. Is That All?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the news of Deans impending departure to Edowathe he can’t understand why Castiel is so worried that he might not return...

Dean let out a relieved sigh, almost a laugh. “Is that all, Cas? Your face made me think the entire kingdom was lost.” He placed a hand on his princes shoulder and gave him a small smile.

Castiel shrugged his shoulders and Dean's hand fell to the guard side. With a shake of his head he looked at Dean, his brows knitted together as he tried to understand. Surely Dean knew what this meant. That he was leaving, and most likely going to face his death. “No, you don’t understand. You… You could die, Dean.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve risked myself for the betterment of the kingdom, Cas—“

“You’re to go alone. No one will know if you’re safe… if—“ Castiel looked away from his guard, his eyes downcast as he quietly spoke “—if you’re dead.”

Deans smile fell from his lips as he tried to grasp at anything to say. He could tell Castiel was extremely worried about the fact that if Dean were to go that he might not come back. And though he didn’t quite understand his princes worry he wanted to leave Cas in the best of spirits. With a smile on his face and hope in his eyes. “Cas…” he started to say, but he didn’t know what else there was to say.

He hated the look on his princes face, but he didn’t know how to fix it. He wanted his prince to be happy and safe. The one thing Dean did know was that if he did this. And he succeeded in infiltrating the fortress of Edowathe then Castiel would be safe… and happiness could always come after. Even if Dean wasn’t able to see it. Once war was no longer waging in the horizon Castiel would be free of the weight of it. He would no longer have to fear for the next message home telling of the death of one of his brothers. And Cas could spend more time in the garden with his bees then in the study pouring over casualty reports, and strategies. But if Dean did this… then it would also mean leaving his prince behind and possibly never returning.

Dean let out a gasp as Castiel's lips met his in desperation. The princes hands quickly found a home in the guards hair, pulling him closer. Dean stumbled back, losing his footing as he kissed his prince. His lips were soft in everyplace he had expected them to be rough and chapped. And this was everything Dean had imagined during late nights where he was too tired to remember that it was wrong. That it was wrong to fantasize about the prince you could never have. Dean was just a guard… and Cas… Cas was the future of this entire kingdom.

But Dean, selfish as he was let himself have this for a few moments before he gently pushed Castiel off of him. This couldn’t happen, he reminded himself. He couldn’t… He couldn’t, not now. Not now that he was getting ready to say his goodbyes.

“Dean,” Cas said, his voice gruff and his eyes filled with a sad understanding. But did he regret kissing Dean? No, of course not. His only regret was not doing it sooner.

“Cas…” Dean's voice broke as he looked away. His eyes were rimmed with red and his heart clenched in his chest as he tried to reign in everything he felt. Dean wasn’t a soldier, but like a good soldier he knew how to keep a lid on his feelings. And like a soldier his face grew stony as he looked off towards the castle walls. “We can’t do this, Cas…”

“I know, Dean,” Castiel whispered before he turned away. And Dean watched as his prince left him and returned to his palace of stone. The letter containing his orders falling to the ground behind him.

Dean closed his eyes and let out a slow breath before he too left the garden to go prepare for his journey.

-

Castiel didn’t come to the stables the next morning to see Dean off, and he tried not to be hurt by it as he mounted Wendigo. He didn’t deserve a goodbye, not after last night. And it was best for the both of them if he just left quietly. He had a job to focus on, and obsessing about how the princes lips felt on his wasn’t going to do Dean any good.

As he rode through the forest towards the kingdom of Edowathe, Dean thought back to the night before and tried to think on what he could’ve done differently. What he could’ve said. But nothing he came up with change the look on Castiel's face as Dean told him that this… whatever it was couldn’t happen.

But maybe Dean was just scared. Scared of his feelings and everything that that kiss had meant to him.

Wendigo was shaky beneath him, and Dean knew it was because of his riders inner turmoil. Dean let out a breath and tried to steady his thoughts. He had to focus on this quest, or he would never be able to fix things with his prince. If he failed then everything between them would be left unfinished. Unresolved. And Deans heart pinched with guilt for a small part of himself that hoped he did die on this mission… Just so that he didn’t have to face Castiel upon his return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please don’t forget to leave a comment or kudos if you’re enjoying this fic!


	3. Guilty, Part of One

It took Dean a week to find his way out of the forests of Blorlave. He was far from his home now, perhaps farther than he had ever been. And he still had so much farther to go. It hadn’t truly hit him until just now, Dean looking down over the rushing waters of the Lantry River below him, how far he had come. And just how alone he truly was. 

He wished not for the first time on this journey, that his prince was riding beside him. Sometimes Dean would catch glimpses of the prince in his peripheral. A waving hand. A gentle smile. But it was nothing more than wishful thinking on the guards part. 

This was a journey he would take alone. And if he returned he would have the chance to fix things with the prince. There wasn’t much sense in obsessing over it before then. It would only distract him.

Dean packed up his bedroll and put out the fire that had kept him warm last night. It would be his last fire for a while. He was fast approaching enemy lines and he can’t afford to be spotted. He took a quick minute to wash his face in the nearby stream before he donned the colors of the neighboring kingdom and mounted his horse.

He would cross the border into Edowathe tomorrow, but it would be at least another two weeks before he reached the capital. 

Dean let his mind wander to blue eyes and honeybees as he followed the path to what would almost certainly be his doom. He wouldn’t let himself admit his love the prince, not even on a dusty forest road completely isolated from judgement and repercussions, but it was there all the same. Dean thought of dreams and could-never-be’s. And he wished not for the first time that Castiel had let him say goodbye.

-  
“Where are you, Dean?” Castiel muttered to himself, his gaze on the forest surrounding his city. He didn’t expect Dean to come bursting through the gates, victorious. No. It was too soon for that. But a part of him wished for it.

“I’m sure he’s fine, your highness,” a maid said behind him. And Castiel turned away from the window. A knowing smile played on the maids lips. Knowing, but sad. Her heart ached for the prince, for she knew what it was like to be without a love. “Give it another month and he’ll come bursting through that door. I guarantee it.”

The prince shook his head. “What if he doesn’t? I didn’t even see him off…”

The maid paused. A sheet crumpled between her hands. “We all have things that we regret, your highness. Words left unspoken. Gestures unmade. But your guard will return and you can set things right again.”

“I hope you’re right, Eliza.”

Guilt poured off the prince in waves. He had let Dean go without even a goodbye. And Castiel wasn’t ignorant of the fact that Dean might not ever return. That he might not ever get the chance to set things right.

“I am.”

But Dean Winchester didn’t return in a month. He didn’t return in two. Or three. And the war between kingdoms waged on. And Castiel lost another brother. And he forced himself to accept the worst. That his love was never returning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the wait for this chapter, I have no excuse. Thank you for reading!!


	4. Journal of Consequence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently hospital waiting rooms get the creativity flowing... who would’ve thought....

It was two weeks before Dean reached the capital of Edowathe, and it was another before he found his way into the fortress. A position in the stables had suddenly found itself available. The previous stable-hand more than happy to leave the position behind with his pockets full of coin and a promise for a better life in a faraway kingdom.

At night Dean crept through castle halls, libraries, and tunnels. He spent his nights learning about the royal family. Dean’s days were spent in the stables, or on the training grounds with the soldiers. Being seen. Giving reason to trust.

Dean leafed through a leather tome, an account of the royal family. He spent a few minutes looking between the pages detailing the current living members of the family tree. The King and Queen, Jonathan and Kaitlynn. And their two sons, Samual and Adam.

The princes, Dean has seen in passing. And the queen he had yet to see, but he knew from the talk of the guards that she was here. The king however was away on the front lines overseeing the war, he had left only a week before Dean had arrived in Edowathe.

The guard-turned-stable-hand let out a sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. The death of the kings wife and children would likely draw him back home… But is it truly necessary to murder them all? Wouldn’t killing the king be enough?

Children he was ordered to kill… 

Deans shoulders slumped under the weight of his orders. If it was necessary to protect his prince he would do it. But surely there had to be another way. Something that ended with as little blood on Dean's hands as possible.

“Ahem.” Deans head jerked up to face the scholar before him, and he scrambled for an excuse. He wasn’t supposed to be here, this was a private library reserved for members of the court. Something Dean was most definitely not.

“I—I…”

“Care to explain just what it is you think you’re doing?” The scholar raised an eyebrow, and shot Dean a pointed glare.

“I was trying to learn more about my employers?” he offered with a grin. “You can never know too much about who you’re working for…”

The man didn’t look convinced but he let Dean go with nothing more than a huff. “You can read all you like in the public library, now I suggest you get out before I call the guards.”

“Of course. I’ll be right out of your uhh, beard,” Dean finished weakly noticing the mans distinct lack of hair just a few seconds too late.

“I better not find you in here again.”

“You won’t,” he said quietly over his shoulder as he left the library. Dean stopped only to check behind him and swipe a small book off of one of the shelves that he’d been eyeing the last few evenings. He tucked it into his tunic before ducking into the hallway and heading back to the stables.

It would be a few nights before Dean dared to check the library again, he only hoped that the small book would be of some use and that no one noticed it was missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s short but I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I hope to have another one posted soon! Thank you so much for reading!!!


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